Twilight Dawn
by Phantom 1
Summary: Based on the Legend of the Twilight (LotT) manga series. Shugo has a tough decision to make. Details are inside.
1. Default Chapter

.hack//Legend of the Twilight  
  
Twilight Dawn  
  
Abstract: Shugo has a tough decision to make, either use the bracelet at its maximum   
and risk infection or see everyone he cares about destroyed. And that's just in the  
first chapter.  
  
-------------()--------------()-------------()-------  
  
The battle was getting out of control. Shugo looked around. Mireille, Ouka, even  
Komiyan, all of them were failing against this monster, who seemed to be not just  
an infected monster of The World, but the pure incarnation of a data bug. And no  
matter how many times Shugo used the bracelet, it wouldn't go down in level.  
  
Shugo looked at Rena, who seemed to be suffering from being data drained herself.  
Somehow, the monster that looked more like some child's art painting with a red staff  
data drained her. Not to the point of death, but drained her of so much hp that  
she couldn't even move. Balmung was trying to cure her with any healing elements  
he had with him, but not even the incredibly strong La Repth was working.  
  
"I know I can beat this guy if I use the bracelet," Shugo said more to himself  
than to Balmung. "Maybe if I..."  
  
"No, Shugo, you mustn't," Balmung countered. "You've already used the data drain  
too much. Any more, and you can risk permanently destroying your character."  
Shugo looked at Balmung with surprise. "I have seen Kite use the bracelet a lot.  
Each time, his character became infected, almost to the point where he would be  
lost forever, both here and in the real world. You can't use it!"  
  
"What choice do I have?" Shugo argued. "If I don't, we're all dead anyway!"  
  
Balmung stared long and hard at the twin blade. And in his eyes he could see  
the same passion and courage that Kite had all those years ago. Balmung could  
just knock the kid out, lock him out, do anything to prevent him from doing  
what he wanted to do. But he couldn't. This wasn't just some kid using Kite's  
character design, this WAS Kite, or rather, the Descendant of Kite.  
  
Balmung smiled. "You do know what could happen, right? You could be dead in  
the real world as well as here."  
  
"I do."  
  
Balmung smiled and shook Shugo's hand. "Then good luck... Descendant of Kite."  
  
Shugo smiled. He never received such a compliment before, and from Balmung  
of all characters, his rival of Rena's affections. Speaking of Rena...  
Shugo looked down at his twin sister, playing the character of Kite's  
partner (and maybe even love interest, Shugo didn't know the whole story),  
Black Rose. He stroked her cheek. "Balmung... look out for Rena for me, she's  
someone... very important to me."  
  
"I know." Shugo gave the Descendant of Fianna a thumbs up then charged through  
the group.   
  
"All right, you overgrown oil painting," he said. "You think you can just  
data drain whoever you want and get away with it? I don't think so!" The   
creature actually backed up in fear. Apparently, it recognized Shugo, or rather  
Shugo'slook. "No matter what happens to me, I WILL NOT LET YOU HURT THE PEOPLE  
I CARE ABOUT!" Everyone gasped. They've obviously never seen Shugo act so   
confident,so firm, so... like a hero. The bracelet started to glow brighter   
than it ever had before, like it was actually responding to Shugo's emotions.  
  
"DATA DRAIN! MAXIMUM POWER!"  
  
Both Shugo and the creature were bathed in an intense light. Data began flowing  
from the creature to Shugo's bracelet. Shugo's body began to change color. His  
face had a look of pain.  
  
Balmung opened up a live communication screen to his assistant. "What's the  
level of the monster?"  
  
"200," she reported. "Wait... 160... 120... it's dropping like crazy."  
  
"Keep it up, Shugo," Balmung encouraged.  
  
At Balmung's side, Rena's voice could barely be heard. "Shu... go."  
  
~My body feels like its on fire,~ Shugo thought. ~I can't keep this up for much  
longer. No, I have to keep it up! I have to bring it down enough to finish it  
off.~  
  
The level kept dropping. "90... 75... 70..."  
  
Shugo couldn't keep it up any more. He stopped the data drain. His body had  
gone completely white. He fell onto the ground.  
  
"Level holding at 68," was the report.  
  
"Good enough," Balmung said drawing his sword. "Ouka, Komiyan, use your  
strongest skills!" Komiyan charged forward on his Grunty and swung his longarm  
in a rapid horizontal movement. Ouka, in her werewolf form, leaped at the  
monster's head. Balmung forced his sword in the monster's chest.  
  
The monster's body broke apart and scattered into the wind. Immediately, the  
damaged parts of the field were repaired and the sun shone again.  
  
"Victory!" Komiyan cried. "Once again, another foe has fallen at the ever-  
mighty hand of..."  
  
"Oh my God! Shugo!"  
  
"Shugo the... huh?" Komiyan looked over and saw Shugo's fallen form. He  
ran over to check it along with Balmung and the girls.  
  
"Shugo, wake up!" Mireille said. She quickly used a health drink on him but  
it didn't work. She then tried a healing potion, but that didn't work either.  
Getting frustrated with the lack of success, she tried her La Repth but all  
that did was drain her sp. She finally decided to go for the old fashioned  
approach. "SHUGO, WAKE UP!"  
  
Ouka sniffed him. "I'm not smelling any warmth from him."  
  
"I knew this would happen," Balmung said sheathing his sword. "Using the  
data drain at its maximum potential made the virus in Shugo's body spread  
uncontrollably. His body was corrupted, and as anyone knows, once a file is  
corrupted, it can't be changed back."  
  
"That can't be," Mireille said unusually quietly. "Shugo can't be..."  
  
"Shugo can't be what?" It was Rena, who had regained most of her hp.  
Balmung stood in front of her. "Balmung, what's going on?"  
  
"Rena, please, it's best if you don't look."  
  
"Don't look? What do you mean?" Rena strained to look over Balmung's  
shoulder but the others were blocking her view.  
  
"Rena..."  
  
"What happened to my brother?" Rena demanded to know. Balmung could see  
that Rena was ready to get primal if she didn't find out what happened. So  
Balmung grimly stepped aside. Mireille and Ouka stood back revealing Shugo's  
body.  
  
Rena gasped. "S... Sh... Shugo." She ran over to him. "Shugo, wake up!  
Shugo, wake up! Come on, Shugo, this isn't funny. Shugo. Shugo... brother,  
please don't..."  
  
"I'm afraid it's too late," Balmung said. "Shugo is gone forever."  
  
"No! NO, it can't be!" Rena quickly gated out.  
  
"Poor kid," Ouka said turning to the body that was once Shugo's. "When it  
all came down to it, he really went for the gold. I wish I wasn't so hard  
on him."  
  
"Me too," Mireille agreed. "He was always willing to help out even though  
we may have treated him roughly at times." She hugged Ouka. "He was one  
of the best friends I have ever known."  
  
"He will be... sorely missed," Komiyan grudgingly said.  
  
--------------()-------------()---------------()----------  
  
In the real world, Rena flung off her helmet and pulled on her shoes. She  
had to get over to Shugo immediately. Surely, he couldn't be dead, it was  
impossible. One couldn't die in The World, could they?  
  
"Rena, where are you going?" Her mother asked as Rena ran out the door.  
  
"I have to see Shugo!" She cried.  
  
"But I thought you were playing..." The slam of the door prevented the rest  
of her question to get through.  
  
Rena got on her bike and pedled as fast as she could over to the house where  
Shugo and her father lived. All this time, she prayed to herself that she  
would find Shugo. She would find him alive and well in his room which was  
where his terminal was. She would come into his room and he would be  
sitting at his terminal like always. He would turn towards her and give  
some witty greeting and everything will be all right.  
  
Yes, everything would be all right.  
  
She hoped.  
  
She finally arrived at the house. Her father's car was already in the garage.  
Rena ran up the side steps and rapidly knocked on the door. Her father opened  
it.  
  
"Rena, what are you doing here?" Her father asked.  
  
"I need to see Shugo," Rena said blowing past her father.  
  
"Is it important?"  
  
"Yes!" Rena snapped.  
  
Rena ran up to Shugo's room and burst through the door. "Shugo?" As  
expected, Shugo was sitting at his terminal. His head was drooped to  
one side, his controller had fallen to the ground. "Shugo? Shugo,  
speak to me! Shugo!" Rena yanked off his headset. His eyes had a  
dazed look to them. Rena shook Shugo's shoulders causing his head to  
bobble. But it was no use. "Shugo... Shugo. SHUGO!" Rena cried into Shugo's  
shoulders, rocking him gently like he was her child instead of her twin.  
She didn't want to admit it, but what Balmung said was true. Shugo was  
gone.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Shugo looked around at his surroundings, if one could call them that.  
He was literally looking at nothing, just darkness.  
  
"Okay, this is strange," Shugo said. "Where am I? What happened to  
the monster?" Shugo lifted his arms like he was going to take off his headset  
but he didn't feel it. "Hey, what happened to my headset? What's going on  
here?"  
  
"Welcome, Shugo!"  
  
Shugo gasped. He knew the voice. He turned and saw a ghost-like girl in a  
long dress.  
  
"Aura!" Shugo cried happily. "I wanted to see you again, but... wait a  
minute, the last time we met, it was when I died. Does this mean...?"  
  
Aura nodded, her gentle smile never leaving her face. "Yes, Shugo, you  
are dead again."  
  
"No way!" Shugo cried. "But... what happened to the monster? What about  
Rena? Is she safe."  
  
Aura nodded again. She took his head in her hands and touched her head to  
his. In his mind, Shugo could see Balmung, Ouka, and Komiyan delivering  
the final blow to the monster. "So Balmung was the real hero," Shugo  
guessed. "I shouldn't be surprised."  
  
"You are the real hero, Shugo. Your bracelet removed its invincibility."  
  
"I... I am a hero?" Shugo couldn't believe it. He actually achieved  
his goal.  
  
Aura just kept up her vision. Shugo saw a lush field. No monster portals  
or anything that would reveal it to be a normal battle field in The World.  
A tombstone was stationed in front of a single cherry blossom tree. Shugo's  
full name and birth date was on it. And below was an epitaph. "Descendant  
of Kite, beloved hero."  
  
Balmung and Shugo's friends stood around it. Mireille was actually crying.  
Ouka, in her human form, was trying to comfort her. Everyone whom Shugo  
had ever met was there, except for one.  
  
"Where's Rena?" Shugo asked just before Rena gated in.  
  
"Sorry I'm late, everybody," Rena said meakly.  
  
"It's all right," Balmung said. He gently pushed Rena to the front of the  
group. Rena went up to the tombstone.   
  
"Hey, bro," she said trying to smile (and semi-succeeding as everyone could  
see). "Looks like you did it, you got to become a hero. I know, you might say  
something like 'Balmung was the hero, he destroyed the monster' but you  
were the one who enabeled him to do it. If it wasn't for you, we would've  
all been data drained." Rena's eyes swelled up with tears. "Shugo, you  
sacrificed your own life to save mine and others. But... you didn't need  
to. You see, Shugo... you were always a hero... to me." Rena couldn't  
hold it in any more. The tears flowed. "Shugo... no matter what happens,  
you'll always be my hero. I love you... brother."  
  
"I love you too... sister," Shugo said forgetting that she couldn't hear him.  
  
Balmung came up and put a hand on her shoulder. "I created this field  
especially for this. There will be no monsters or dungeons here, just this  
memorial." Rena turned and cried into the tall man's chest.  
  
Normally, Shugo would've protested this display of affection towards  
someone other than himself, but given the circumstances, Shugo couldn't  
blame her.  
  
"Well... as long as Rena's safe," Shugo said as his vision ended.  
"I'm happy. Lonely, but happy."  
  
"Take my hand," Aura said. Shugo took one of her hands in both of his.  
"As long as we walk together, I will always be with you."  
  
A/N: Okay, obviously my knowledge of LotT is a little limited, considering  
how I only have the first two manga and the last time I read those was six  
months ago. I apologize if I had gotten anything mixed up or wrong.  
.hack is owned by Bandai (then again, what ISN'T owned by Bandai and/or  
Sunrise now-a-days?) and... well, it's not owned by me and that's all I  
know. 


	2. Chapter 2

.hack//Legend of the Twilight  
  
Twilight Dawn  
  
Abstract: So how does one cope when one's twin is basically brain dead?  
Rena's coping with it well... sort of.  
  
-----------------()---------------()--------------------()------------  
  
Rena was panting heavily as she faced down the Red Wyrm alone. She had  
already used up her supply of health drinks and she had no recovery skills.  
Not that it would matter, her sp was already dangerously low. And her hp  
was almost at 0 as well.  
  
"Looks like this is it," Rena said, sweat matting her pink hair. "It's  
now or never." She raised her huge sword over her head and charged. The  
Red Wyrm began to one of its own skills, one that Rena was sure was going  
to kill her.  
  
"Wolf Rush!" A gray blur struck through the Red Wyrm and it was destroyed.  
Ouka morphed into her human form and stood proudly. She blew into her fist  
and rubbed it on her chest. "Jake Berenger, eat your heart out," she said  
smugley. "Hey Rena, how did you like the new skill I developed?"  
  
"Ouka, what are you doing here?" Rena asked, more harsh than she intended.  
  
"I came to help you out. You know you're not suppose to take on a high-level  
field without a party."  
  
"How did you know I needed help?"  
  
"I told her." Balmung appeared. "I've been monitoring you."  
  
"You've been spying on me?" Rena accused.  
  
Balmung simply took out a sheet of paper. "In the past ten days, you've logged-  
in twenty-five times, each time you tackled a field that's over twice your current  
level, brought no healing supplies and you came close to dying thirty times."   
Balmung looked up at the heavy-blade master. "One would think you had a death wish."  
  
Rena sat down and crossed her legs indian style. "I... I guess I was hoping that  
if I died as well, I would meet up with Shugo."  
  
Balmung's eyes narrowed and Ouka put on a look of shock. Ouka spoke first, "Rena,  
are you crazy?"  
  
"Shugo's character data was corrupted by the bracelet," Balmung explained. "The   
virus implanted in it eventually overwhelmed the data and destroyed it. The   
feedback caused a disbansion of the neurons that were connected through his   
helmet interface." Rena and Ouka stared at Balmung. Obviously, they had no  
idea what he was talking about. "Shugo's brain was infected by the virus in  
his bracelet. It quite literally made him brain dead."  
  
"Stop it! Stop talking like that!" Rena shouted. "You're talking like he's just  
another data file."  
  
"In CC Corp's eyes, yes, he is just another data file."  
  
"STOP TALKING LIKE THAT!" Rena shouted. "HE'S NOT JUST ANOTHER COMPUTER PROGRAM!  
HE'S A PERSON, A HUMAN BEING, SOMEONE WHO WE FOUGHT WITH, SOMEONE WHO WE LAUGHED WITH  
AND HAD FUN WITH! HOW CAN YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE, JUST WRITE HIM OFF? DO YOU ALWAYS ACT  
SO HEARTLESS OR IS IT A CC CORP TRAIT?" That triggered something within Balmung.  
He clenched his fist tightly.  
  
"Rena, I think what Balmung's trying to say is that is that what happened to Shugo  
is a lot different than getting wasted by a Red Wyrm."  
  
"Oh... Balmung, I'm sorry, it's just that... it's hard to describe it, I don't think  
something like this has ever happened before."  
  
"But it has," Balmung argued.  
  
"What?" Both Ouka and Rena asked.  
  
"Four years ago, several of The World players went into comas because of a data bug,"  
Balmung said evenly. "One of them was my best friend, Orca. Believe me, I know  
what it's like to be helpless while a friend is in danger."  
  
"Balmung, I'm sorry, I had no idea," Rena said. She embraced the Descendant of  
Fianna's lower region (seeing as how she couldn't reach his shoulder).  
  
"I went to see the grave the other day," Ouka mused. "It was a nice day out, I  
ended up taking a nap next to the grave. It almost felt like Shugo was sleeping   
right next to me."  
  
Rena fell back onto the ground. She stared at the sky. She remembered the little  
"game" that Shugo and Ouka played when they first met. Now that she thought about it,  
it was rather cute (at least until Ouka revealed her real form).  
  
Shugo... he always was able to lighten up her mood. Even in his rather perverted state,  
he brought a smile to her face. After their parents got divorced, she relied heavily on  
him because he was the only link she had to her old life. Shugo always remained the same,  
even through the divorce. Rena guessed that she would have to move on now. Forget  
about the past and face the future, an uncertain, almost frightening, brother-less future.  
But she wouldn't be alone, she had Ouka, and Balmung, and Mireille, her parents. She  
knew that none of them could take Shugo's place in her heart, but they would provide a  
shoulder for her to lean on, should she ever need it.  
  
"Come on," Ouka said hauling Rena to her feet. "Let's get Mireille and we can go on a  
dungeon adventure.  
  
"Okay," Rena complied.  
  
Suddenly a low rumble echoed through a field. A large longarm on a Grunty was charging   
towards them. It skidded to a hault. "Never fear, oh beautiful Rena, I, Komiyan the III  
shall rescue you!"  
  
"Um... the monster's already been defeated," Ouka informed him. Komiyan fell off his   
Grunty.  
  
"That's the fifth time this week he did that," Balmung commented.  
  
"I guess we found Shugo's replacement for comic relief," Rena said smiling the first time  
in a long while. The three then gate out.  
  
"Curse that Shugo," Komiyan grumbled as he hauled himself back onto his Grunty. "Even in  
death, he continues to snatch the fair and gorgeous Rena away from me." Komiyan's head  
lowered. "Still... I wish there was a lot less bloody method to get him out of the way."  
That would be the closest Shugo would ever get to receiving a compliment from Komiyan.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Shugo had lost track of time since he was reunited with Aura. It felt like he been in  
this strange nothingness forever. Since then, they had walked and talked. And Shugo  
was just glad he was getting to see her again. But something had been bothering him.  
  
"Aura," he said. "I'm glad I'm with you and all, but... I miss my friends also. I wish  
I could see them again."  
  
"You can." Aura touched her head to Shugo's and Shugo could see Rena, Mireille, and Ouka.  
They were traveling through a fortress dungeon. Suddenly a huge monster appeared. Rena  
and Ouka attacked while Mireille hung back and healed them. Through some careful strategy  
and the right skills, the three girls were able to defeat it."  
  
"Wow, Rena's gotten a lot stronger since I died," Shugo commented. "I guess... since I'm  
not there to hold her down."  
  
Aura never stopped smiling, but her eyes turned sad. Suddenly, Shugo felt a distant emotion.  
And this emotion was a color, a bluish color.  
  
~Huh? What's this I'm feeling? Sadness? Well of course I would be sad, I... no, wait, this  
isn't my sadness, and it's not Aura's. It's... Rena's! Rena's sad... over my passing...~  
Shugo finally understood. His sister did miss him, miss him a lot, probably the most out of  
anybody. Because... he was more than just her twin brother, he was a part of her. When he  
died, it was like a part of her died with him, like she had an arm chopped off or a leg.  
Shugo felt an emotion that he hadn't felt in a long time: gladness.  
  
"Shugo." Shugo's attention turned back to Aura. She was showing him a new vision. Once  
again, Rena, Mireille, and Ouka were facing down a monster, much bigger than the one he  
previously saw them fighting. But this time, the girls' expressions were those of pure  
fright.  
  
"Rena, I don't recognize this monster," Mireille said clutching her Wavemaster wand close to  
her.  
  
"Neither do I," Ouka threw in. "Perhapd CC Corp just put it in."  
  
"Why would they do that without telling... Mireille, behind you!" Somehow, the monster snuck  
behind the Wavemaster and smashed her against the wall. Mireille's hp automatically went to 0  
and she fell.  
  
"Mireille!" Rena cried.  
  
"Rena, go get Mireille back on her feet," Ouka instructed. "I'll handle it!"  
  
"But I don't have any healing elements!"  
  
"What?" The monster tried striking Ouka but she dodged it. "Fine. Rena, here!" Ouka threw  
Rena a resurrect.  
  
And the monster destroyed it even before it reached Rena's hands.  
  
Ouka cursed. "Rena, take over!" Ouka and Rena switched positions. Rena tried her skills but  
the monster was able to evade all of them. Rena tried scroll magic but the monster seemed to  
absorb it.  
  
"Fine," Rena said. "Guess I'll take you out the old fashion way!" Rena swung her sword and  
struck a protruding blade in the monster's forearm. Another blade extended from the monster's  
other forearm and the monster knicked Rena's forearm. Rena's hp went down by a quarter.  
~Is it a data bug?~ Rena thought. ~No, it can't be, the area around us isn't infected. This  
is actually more horrible than a data bug! I wish Shugo was here. He'd be able to defeat  
this by data draining. Shugo, please, help me!~  
  
Shugo pulled himself away from Aura, not wanting to see any more of the battle. He paced around.  
"This is insane! My sister's in trouble! The one time she really needs me, I'm stuck here! And  
there's no way I can help her!"  
  
"There is," Rena argued. Shugo stared at her. "I can give you your life back."  
  
Shugo recalled their first meeting. Rena gave Shugo Kite's bracelet. And the kiss... she brought  
him back with a kiss. But something was bothering him. "Aura...?"  
  
Aura could sense what he was thinking and nodded. "Yes. I can exchange my life force with yours.  
That will enabel you to return to The World."  
  
"But... what will happen to you?"  
  
"I will cease to exist."  
  
"But... I'll never see you again."  
  
Aura, her smile never waning, shook her head. She took his hand and held it to her heart. Shugo  
blushed. "Remember what I said, as long as we walk together, I will always be with you. And  
right now, there is someone who needs you more." Aura took Shugo into her arms and kissed him   
once again. But unlike the first time, this was a full blown make-out session. Shugo could only  
respond in kind.  
  
Aura's body disappeared and a pair of strange golden daggers appeared. Shugo vanished.  
  
------------------()----------------()-----------------()---------------------  
  
Balmung gated in to the field where Shugo's gravesite was. He took a look around then opened up  
a live communication channel.  
  
"It's me. Delta Memorial Descendant Hero is clear. Moving on." As Balmung got ready to gate  
out, the tombstone disappeared. Balmung gasped, then more so as something, or rather someone  
appeared in its place.  
  
-----------------()----------------()-----------------()-------------------  
  
"Resurrect!" Ouka quickly used a resurrect on Mireille then quickly pulled the Wavemaster to  
safety. Meanwhile, Rena suffered another blow, bringing her hp down to half its normal  
strength. "Rena, we have to get out of here!"  
  
"But how?" Rena asked as she blocked another attack. "The metal gates are up until the  
battle's over."  
  
The monster let out a feral roar. Rena, Mireille, and Ouka backed up against the wall.  
  
"Looks like we have no choice, we have to reset our terminals, otherwise we'll never get out  
of here!" Mireille cried. The three dodged the monster. "The problem is he isn't giving us  
any time to do it!"  
  
~Shugo,~ Rena thought. ~Looks like I'll be coming to join you after all.~  
  
"Tiger Claw!" A red tornado burst into the room and forced the monster away from the girls.  
It kept spinning and striking the monster until it fell on its butt. The tornado stopped.  
It was a Twin Blade dressed in red clothes with strange markings on them. He held a pair of  
glowing silver daggers over his face. As he stood on both feet, he lowered the daggers from  
his face.  
  
It was Shugo.  
  
Shugo turned towards the girls. "Hey, are you three all right?" Mireille could only nod.  
  
"Behind you!" Came Balmung's voice. Shugo dropped down barely missing the monster's forearm  
blade.  
  
"Trying to sneak up from behind?" Shugo cracked. "Bad computer monster. Tiger Claw!" He  
spun again and attacked the monster. Again, it fell on its butt and got up.  
  
"I never seen this monster," Balmung commented. "But it's not a data bug. CC Corp must've  
put this in on purpose, but why?"  
  
"Balmung, is that..." Mireille began.  
  
"Yes," Balmung confirmed. "That is Shugo. He appeared on the field where his grave was and  
told me you three were in danger. So I tracked you down through your records and we came  
here."  
  
"Oh man, I can't believe Shugo's back, I also can't believe he's fighting so well," Ouka  
commented.  
  
Rena could only stare in shock. All speech, all sound escaped her, she couldn't even breath.  
One thougth kept running through her mind: Shugo was back, her brother had returned.  
  
"Take this! Twilight Daggers!" Shugo threw the daggers which turned into beams of light and  
penetrated the monster. The daggers returned to Shugo. "I see, it looks like I'm going to  
have to go serious on you nut job! Aura Spirit!" Shugo crossed the daggers in front of him  
and a strange white mist came out of them. The mist formed an image of Aura which went into  
the monster. The monster turned white then disintegrated. All the gates opened.  
  
Shugo turned towards the others. "Is everyone all right?"  
  
"Nothing serious fortunately," Balmung reported.  
  
Shugo sheathed his daggers. He turned towards the girls and smiled embarrassingly. "Um...  
hey, guys, long time, no see."  
  
Yup, it was Shugo all right.  
  
Mireille and Ouka ran up to him. Mireille embraced him tightly while Ouka gave him a  
noogie.  
  
"Hey, hey, watch the hat, watch the hat," Shugo said.  
  
"That was some pretty slick fighting there, kiddo," Ouka said. "Almost as good as me."  
  
"I can't believe you're alive! Where did you get such cool daggers? Are they a rare  
item?"  
  
"You could say that," Shugo replied. A clearing of Balmung's throat reminded Shugo that  
Rena was also there. He turned towards his twin sister. She was staring at him  
neutrally. "Um... hi, Rena, how're things?" When Rena didn't say anything, Shugo was  
afraid that he made her mad again. He waited her to start fighting with him, telling  
him things like 'why didn't you tell me you were alive' and 'I can't believe you  
deceived me.' Actually, Shugo couldn't blame her, that's what he would say if he was  
her.  
  
But he wasn't her.  
  
Mireille and Ouka backed up. For what seemed like forever, the twins stared at each  
other. Then, to Shugo's surprise (as well as relief), Rena smiled and her eyes swelled  
up with tears (Shugo wondered how that was possible in a game). She ran towards him and  
threw her arms around him, pressing her mouth against his. The momentum made them crash  
to the ground.   
  
The others suddenly decided that the walls were the most interesting thing in the room.  
  
Rena crushed her face against Shugo's neck, more tears dripping on him. "Shugo! My  
wish came true. You're back, you're really back!"  
  
"You bet, sis. I'm back and I'll stay back for a long time."  
  
"I'm so happy," Rena said.  
  
"I was so worried about you," Shugo said.  
  
"As was I," Rena agreed.  
  
"But Shugo," Mireille said as the twins got up. "Just how did you come back to life."  
  
Shugo's smile disappeared and his head lowered in a gesture of remorse. "It was Aura."  
  
"Aura, the girl who gave you the bracelet?" Mireille questioned.  
  
Shugo nodded. "She saw how badly I wanted to return so she sacrificed her own life force  
to return me to the World and even gave me these cool Twilight Daggers. I... I literally  
owe her my life. Now I won't be able to repay her."  
  
"If the Aura you're talking about is the same Aura I remembered," Balmung said. "Then  
she doesn't expect any repayment."  
  
"I owe her a lot too," Rena said. "She made me complete again by returning you to me."  
Rena hugged her brother again. The others also smiled.  
  
"I think it's better if we all return to Mac Anu," Balmung said. "It'll be more comfortable  
there anyway."  
  
"Yeah, let's go, Rena." Holding hands, Shugo and Rena used a sprite ocarina to gate out.  
The others followed suite.  
  
A/N: Well, it's over, this chapter anyway. But some of you might say 'hey wait a minute, how  
can Shugo's mind be in The World when his body isn't hooked up to a terminal? It's the  
Tsukasa syndrome, only with a much more simple solution (seeing as how LotT is a much more  
simple story then Sign). And just how is Shugo suppose to return to his normal body anyway?  
Well, I'm currently working on a chapter that explains just that. 


End file.
